Learn to Paddleboard
Have you ever spotted people standup-paddleboarding on the Potomac and vowed to try it? Key Bridge Boathouse in Georgetown offers SUP 101, a 75-minute class that teaches how to mount and stand on a board, how to stroke, and everything else you need to get started. The class costs $35.
Once you master SUP, you can sign up for other classes, including Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga, also available at its sister boathouse at National Harbor, and SUP Fitness, where such exercises as squats, pushups, and burpees are done while balancing on a paddleboard. 202-337-9642; boatingindc.com; 3 miles.
E – M (Easy – Moderate Difficulty) / 
Great for Groups / 
Kid-Friendly / $ ($35 or less per person)
Then SUP With Your Pup
A few years ago, standup paddleboarding, or SUP, became a trendy way for Hollywood celebrities to get fit. In truth, the boards are so easy to use that a dog can ride one—which is the idea behind SUP Dog at Ultimate Watersports near Baltimore. You can take your canine on a paddleboard with you for a guided tour of the calm waters of Dundee Creek. The beautiful body of water features dense marshlands, deep woods with overhanging trees, and shallow coves accessible only by SUPs and kayaks. Tour ($50) offered Sundays from 2 to 4.
For more adventure, consider a windsurfing or Hobie Cat sailing lesson through the outfitter, held at Hammerman Beach, where there’s a constant breeze even in the dog days of summer. Six-hour windsurfing lesson $195, three-hour intro course to catamaran sailing $95; 410-335-5352; 59 miles.
E – S (Easy – Strenuous Difficulty) / Great for Groups / $$ ($36 to $75) – $$$ ($76 and up)
